Into The Dark
by mmhope22
Summary: *Sequel to Gauntlet* Plagued by nightmares that feel more genuine than the world around her, Parker Morgan cannot help but sense a rift between herself and reality. Left with a mysterious scar that she has no memory of and an ineffable void in her life, she has become estranged from her family, her friends, and her world - and there is only one man who knows why.
1. Chapter 1: Scars

***Disclaimer: I claim ownership to nothing in this Fanfic except for my OC's.**

****Sequel to _Gauntlet_**

*****Rated M for Language and Future Explicit Content**

*****Chapter One & Two have Been Combined and Revised to be in Third Person**

* * *

Have you ever woken up and gotten the sense that you've just missed..._everything_? Have you ever felt that heavy, sinking feeling in your chest that gnaws away at your consciousness, as it whispers to you that you've let your whole life pass you by?

Pray that you never do.

Parker Morgan had always been a bit of an oddball – she was awkward, anti-social, and had accepted the fact that she would likely work at Wal-Mart for the rest of her life. She wasn't meant to be anything extraordinary, and for the most part, she was okay with that. She was okay with being just another boring, insignificant person. A statistic. A blip. Whatever. Then a morning came and she woke up, finding herself wondering how in the _hell_ she had gotten to that point.

The petite, crimson haired woman couldn't help but feel this overwhelming sense that she had missed something, somewhere along the way – like a piece of her, a piece of her life was just..._**gone**_. It was hard for her to describe...but it was as if suddenly, everything just seemed...**different**, although she couldn't distinguish how. Her life, her world – they appeared to her to be the same as they had always been, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. She felt as though she was simply an Observer to her surroundings – everything was _right there_, yet she felt distanced from it all.

As stated earlier, Parker had always been a bit strange, and that came with a certain degree of social isolation by itself, but this sense that she genuinely did not belong to this world...that brought about a whole new level. For months, she spent the majority of her days shut up inside of her small, one bedroom apartment watching Television with her feline best friend, Darwin, and she enjoyed it - that is, until her _human_ best friend, Kellie Brighton, came knocking one Fall afternoon.

"Parker! Open up!" She called from behind the heavy, cream-colored door as she pounded her fist against its solid surface.

"Uhhhmm, I don't think that's such a good idea. Could you come by later, maybe? I think I ate something bad..-" Parker lied as she sat, slouched down on the sofa, sifting through the programs on Netflix.

"Well, that's a lie," Kellie responded bluntly.

With a frustrated sigh, Parker pushed herself off of the soft cushion and made her way to the door, taking care to step over the pizza boxes and empty two-liters as she went. She pulled the wooden slab open to find the tall, thin brunette that she called a friend standing before her with a triumphant grin plastered onto her face.

"How'd you know?" Parker asked flatly.

"Xbox Live told me that you are watching Netflix -"

"Right, because sick people don't watch T.V. - I forgot."

"Well, sure they do," She started as she pushed passed Parker and ventured into the apartment, "But generally, sick people watch sick people T.V – like, I dunno, The Price is Right or something – at least, you've always been that way but from your "Recently Watched" list on Netflix, it would seem that you've been watching a lot of _The Walking Dead_ lately and there is no way in hell that you would be watching that shit if your stomach was already upset. And besides, do you know how many times you've claimed to have had food poisoning _just_ this month?"

Parker simply stared at her friend, knowing Kellie well enough to figure that she was going to answer that question for her.

"Six times! Six! Seriously, I've counted. So either you're a big fat liar or you're eating some nasty shit, but either way, it's time for some fresh air."

Parker rolled her eyes and walked away from the towering woman, stepping onto the cold linoleum floor of the kitchen as she made her way over to the silver refrigerator.

"I'll open a window," She responded, only partially in jest.

"Not good enough, Park. You need to get out into the world, meet people, visit your parents – something! Shit, let's go shopping – I'll get you some of those soft pretzels or whatever from that place at the mall!"

"Auntie Anne's?"

"Yeah, that one!" Kellie exclaimed with a smile, which faltered only after Parker softly shook her head in response, "Look – I'm worried about you. You go to work and then come straight back here and lock yourself away from everybody – it's not healthy. I mean, I know you've never been a social butterfly but you've been awfully...hermit-like lately, and that's weird, even by your standards so could you just humor me? We'll go outside, hang out, and if after an hour you're still not enjoying yourself we will come right back here and watch your fuckin' Netflix, deal?"

"_We_ will come back?"

"Yes, _we_, as in the both of us. If you wanna be a shut-in, that's your right, but I'll be damned if I'm going to be replaced by a cat, capisci?"

"A little late for that," The redhead muttered playfully, laughing as she ducked out of the way when her friend threw one of the many empty soda bottles that littered the living room in her direction.

"Go get dressed, ya little shit," She chuckled, "You're not going out into public looking like _that_."

"What's wrong with the way I look?" Parker pouted as she approached the brunette.

"Your hair is a mess, you have crumbs on your shirt, and you're wearing Ninja Turtle boxers – now _go_," She replied, lifting her arm to point in the direction of the bedroom.

Grinning, Parker lifted her gaze to meet Kellie's. She had always had an incredible complexion and Parker was often jealous of her for it, but what caught her attention about her friend in that moment was the color of her eyes.

Like two impossibly vibrant emeralds shining down on her.

Kellie's eyes had always been green, and Parker had never found them to be particularly remarkable before, but something about them, something about green eyes...it sounded stupid, but she felt that there was something important there, something familiar that went beyond just the iris' of her best friend...

"Do you want to kiss or something? 'Cuz I'm down for that," Kellie teased, pulling the small woman from her thoughts.

"Sorry, you're not exactly my type," Parker retorted as she pushed passed her and made her way down the dark hallway towards the bedroom.

"You still have a type? Good, we'll start there!" The dark haired woman called after her.

"No, we won't!"

"Parker -"

"You're not setting me up."

"We'll see about that..."

Parker rolled her eyes at Kellie's words as she pulled her dirty, gray T-Shirt up and over her head – and that was when she first noticed it. She couldn't explain how she had managed to ever miss it...a thin, dark mark along her ribs.

A scar that she had no memory of.

Parker lightly grazed her finger along that thin, discolored patch of skin between her ribs as she reasoned with herself that perhaps she was reading too far into it. It was just a scar, after all, and it was not as though she spent much time examining or checking herself out in the mirror to have taken notice of it. Still, the idea that she had no memory of what had happened to her to have earned her such a scar did not sit well with her. Quite honestly, it looked to Parker as though she had been stabbed, but she hadn't – had she? No, certainly she would have remembered something like _that_.

"Are you almost done in there? I'm getting hungry!" The voice of her friend called to her from beyond the bedroom walls, tearing Parker's attention away from the mark for a moment.

It then dawned on the small woman that it was possible that her friend's memory might serve her better than her own – she had been having a hell of a time sorting through the scrambled up mess that was her mind and considering that she had known Kellie for the majority of her life, she thought it reasonable to get her opinion. So she stepped out into the poorly lit hallway, covered only by her undergarments as she sought out her friend.

"Hey – **whoa**! No, no, no, no, Parker! You are _definitely_ not going out like that – try again," The tall woman laughed as her hands flew up to shield her eyes from Parker's nearly naked form.

"We've been friends for how long, exactly? Like sixteen years?"

"Give or take a few years, yeah," Kellie confirmed.

"Do you remember how I got this scar?"

Parker's friend slowly lowered her hands, allowing her eyes to find which mark she was referring to – a single, dark, thin line situated roughly an inch or so below the breast on her left side, in-between her ribs.

"Uhm, no," She answered simply, "But remember high school? You were a **total** klutz – you still are – but I mean, you were falling and hurting yourself left and right back then. I'm surprised you've survived this long! So, it's not exactly a total shock that you have some marks on ya."

"I don't think that's it...I don't remember ever seeing this one before...," Parker muttered, turning her attention down towards her ribs once more.

"Well, the good news is that it's _all_ healed up," Kellie pointed out, "So that means that you're okay to march your little ass back into that room and get yourself decent so that we can go smash on some ridiculously overpriced soft pretzels."

"But-"

"You're _not_ getting out of this, now **go**."

Parker knew her friend well enough to know when there was going to be no arguing with her, and so she begrudgingly dragged herself back down the hall and into her bedroom, where she pulled on the first pieces of clothing that managed to catch her eye – a pale pink spaghetti-strap top and a pair of distressed blue jeans. She hurriedly tossed her long, crimson hair up into a messy bun and pushed her cell phone deep into her back pocket before she emerged to get the green light from Kellie.

"Better?" Parker sneered as she held her arms out, as though she were presenting herself to her friend.

Kellie smiled.

"It'll do."

* * *

"So, how've you been?" Kellie questioned, a large chunk of pretzel tucked into her cheek as the two women aimlessly strolled through the quiet mall.

It was unusual for the place to be so empty, but being that it was a weekday and that any kids would have been in school at that time, that was not too much of a surprise.

Parker merely shrugged in response to her friends inquiry.

"Alright, I suppose. You?"

"I've been good...," The taller woman answered softly, "Been kind of worried about you though. You've been pretty distant lately..."

"Mm."

Kellie smiled tightly, bobbing her head softly in a sort of acknowledgment to herself that perhaps her friend was not ready to open up about whatever it was that had drove her to detach herself from the rest of the world quite yet. Maybe another time, she considered.

It was silent for a long moment before Parker felt Kellie's hand wrap tightly around her forearm, abruptly pulling her off into another direction.

"What the hell?" Parker blurted out.

"Do you see that freakin' dress?!"

"You're gonna have to be more specific."

"That one," Kellie answered, pointing her long, outstretched finger towards a mannequin that had been situated at the far end of the display window, "The green and black one with the lace and stuff – it'd look good on you!"

"That's – no. I'm good on all that," Parker insisted, though her words fell on deaf ears as her friend continued to drag her inside of the store to get a better look at the garment.

"Come on! You should get it – or at least try it on!"

"I'm _not_ trying it on and I'm _not_ wasting my money."

Kellie pressed on, insisting that her friend ought to buy herself some nice clothes and get back out into the world, but it was Parker's turn to not listen. She rolled her eyes and turned away from her, opting instead to watch the other people inside of the store as they went about their business. There were not many – a mother and her young daughter over near the dressing rooms and a middle-aged man hurriedly searching through a rack of dress shirts. The gentleman caught Parker's attention as she noticed a slight tremor in his hand when he pulled a red polo up to his face to get a closer look at it before he ultimately decided to put it back.

Parker stared at the man for a moment longer, allowing her eyes to dance across his strong features – he was clean shaven with a prominent jawline and his eyes were as dark and gray as storm cloud. His jet black hair was somewhat on the short side and was mildly disheveled with small streaks of white at his temples. She had seen this man somewhere before, but she couldn't quite place it...

"Scopin' that guy out over there?" Kellie asked quietly, pulling Parker's attention back to her friend.

"Hm? Oh, no. No, he just looks familiar is all."

"Oh," Kellie sounded disappointed, "Well, you should go talk to him or something. He's kind of cute -"

"Kellie -"

"And he smells like money -"

"_Kellie_," Parker hissed.

"_Fine_," Her friend sighed, "But for the record, he's totally checking you out right now."

"What?"

Parker whipped her head around, allowing subtlety to fly out the window as she found her large blue eyes locked with a stormy gray pair. She quickly turned her gaze away as she felt a familiar burning sensation at her cheeks.

"Told you," Kellie giggled.

"Shut up, you're not making things better."

"I'm not doing anything! But seriously, you should go over there..."

Parker pushed out a heavy sigh from deep within her chest.

"Has it been an hour yet?"

* * *

Parker sat silently in the passenger seat of Kellie's old, silver Saturn, her forehead pressed against the cold glass of the window as they approached the stop-light that would allow them to turn onto the street that her apartment building was on. It had been a fairly quiet right up until that point, but when Kellie did not get into the turn lane, Parker picked her head up to look at her friend.

"That was our turn," She informed her.

"If we were going back to your place, yeah...,"

"I thought that that was the deal -" Parker began to protest.

"It was, but I **lied**," Kellie interjected, "Look, your parent's called me about a week ago and told me that they haven't seen you in close to a month. _Me_, Parker. They called _me_, instead of you – their own daughter. Do you realize how fucked up that is?"

Parker felt a pang of guilt in her chest – the last thing that she had ever wanted was for her parent's to hurt because of her.

She bobbed her head softly in response.

"Okay... So, we're just going to put aside this whole hermit-thing for a couple of hours, long enough to sit down and have dinner with your family, and we're gonna have a nice night – sound good?"

Parker forced a small smile onto her face.

"Yeah. Sounds good."

* * *

**A/N: Hello, again! And Welcome to the New Universe (or Reality), for lack of a better term. **

**As you may have been able to gather, this story takes place a few months or better after the events of Gauntlet, and it clearly takes place in the New (Alternative?) Universe that was created by Loki at the end of that story. That being said, there is going to be a lot of changes within this story – there will be things that had taken place that now, in this reality, never did and some things that never happened before that now have, if you follow. That will all reveal itself as the story continues.**

**For now, we have Parker, who is clearly going through a bit of an internal crisis. She has this distinct feeling that she doesn't belong where she is – to her world, to her life, to anything – but she cannot place her finger on why that is. As it's stated, she just kind of woke up one day with it, like it just came out and hit her out of the blue (and one could easily assume that that day that she woke up with those feelings was, in fact, the moment that Loki's new reality took over), and she's not been dealing with it well. She has estranged herself from her family, and her friends (except Kellie, who I see as being quite a persistant person. A bit of a pain in the ass, but a good one, if ever there was) and has practically become a shut-in. **

**Anyway, for those of you who may have been confused by the scar that has been left on Parker's ribs, it is the mark that was left after Loki had stabbed her when they had fought on Halfworld. I know, I know – why would it be there if Loki has rewritten reality? Parker having no memory of the events of Gauntlet may suggest that the Trickster has rewritten reality so that they never even happened, but I feel that magic is not always terribly percise, as nearly nothing is. Loki, however, I believe would be a very maticulous type of person, but considering the conditions he was working under when he was crafting this New Reality, maybe he was not as thorough as he should have been...or maybe he left certain things on purpose? Who knows. **

**Also, it would seem that a certain Doctor is in town, and it will be exciting to see how Parker and Strange interact and such. **

**Anyway though, I hope you enjoyed this update and...**

_*****Please leave a review!*****_

******It would be very appreciated, I strive off of your reviews and I am in dire need of some good reviewers – someone who can tell me what they liked, what they're concerned about, what questions they have or how they're feeling – anything! If that sounds like something you can and would like to do, please feel free to fill up that box below. I love hearing from you guys!**


	2. Chapter 2: Home

Parker had resumed her previous position of having her face pressed to the glass of the passenger side window, her eyes closed as she was lulled nearly to sleep by the gentle vibrations of the engine. It was not long, however, before she heard a familiar crackling sound as the gravel of her parent's driveway was pressed beneath the tires of Kellie's car. She pulled the lids away from eyes to gaze upon the small, quaint, powder blue home with it's pristine white shutters and manicured lawn. It caused a wave of warmth to sweep through her, seeing her childhood home – she felt as though, for a moment, she were some place that she did _truly_ belong. Parker allowed her eyes to wander further, finding them drawn to the tops of the trees that were dotted along the property line, their leaves having already turned brilliant shades of yellow, orange, and red. Those rich colors, they were the reason that she loved Autumn so much.

Reaching downward, her hand wrapped tightly around the black plastic handle of the door before she pulled it open and slowly climbed out of the vehicle, her gaze still fixed on her parent's home. She could see that her mother had been hard at work, making the place look nice for the season – there were bundles of golden stalks wrapped decoratively around a few of the trees in the front yard, accompanied by homemade Jack-O-Lanterns and a sole Scare-Crow, dressed in one of Parker's fathers worn-out flannel tops.

She straightened herself out and gently pushed the door shut behind her as she delighted in the crisp scent of Fall that hung in the cool air around her. She inhaled, greedily filling her lungs with as much of it as she could before slowly letting it out.

"See? You're not gonna get all that from opening up a window," Kellie pointed out as she stepped around the car to stand next to her.

Parker responded by rolling her eyes and making for the front door.

She followed the simple, stone pathway before carelessly hopping up the two steps that lead onto the tiny porch as Kellie trailed close behind.

Three steps later, Parker found herself standing mere inched from the heavy, dark blue door and she hesitantly raised her fist to knock, but allowed it to fall at her side as her chest tightened with anxiety.

It had been nearly a month since she had seen or spoken with her parent's and she knew that they would likely not be too thrilled with her because of it, but more than that, she knew that they would be asking questions. Lots of them. And what answers did she have for them? Hell, if she had the answers then there likely wouldn't be a problem...

Kellie leaned forward and slowly reached out her arm, landing three loud knocks onto the solid, wooden surface before Parker could turn and make a run for it. The elfin redhead turned her big, round eyes to meet her friends, who offered her a small, reassuring smile.

"They're your _parents_, Parker. Chill out."

"I know...but, they're gonna ask questions and -"

"Of course they are – they're worried about you. Parents tend to do that about their kids. They're allowed to be concerned and they're allowed to ask questions, especially considering the situation, don't you think?"

"I just don't think I have any answers for them...," Parker muttered.

"Well...just do the best you can," Kellie encouraged quietly.

Without warning, the entrance to the small house was pulled up, revealing Parker's mother, Robin. She stood before them with a somewhat shocked expression on her face, though that was not the first thing that Parker noticed about her. As she looked upon the older woman, she noticed that she had her signature pink and white apron tied loosely around her thin frame and that her long, brown hair was pulled back into a messy bun – more than that though, she took note of the layers of make-up that had been meticulously applied to the skin around her eyes, just barely masking the woman's obvious fatigue.

Parker thought to herself that her mother looked beautiful, as always, and that she seemed to be in fairly good health, though she could not help but feel a wave of guilt course through her knowing that she had undoubtedly caused her mother some degree of unrest. It had been some time since she had last visited her parents, and that last visit turned out to be rather brief – Robin had tried to convince her that perhaps it would be best if she sought some _professional_ help, and she had taken great offense to that suggestion. Parker could acknowledge the fact that she was clearly facing some issues and that she was not, by anyone's standards, "okay" - but she was not crazy, either. In hindsight, she understood why her mother had made the recommendation – she was only looking out for what she thought were the best interests of her daughter – but at the time, she had resented what the proposal insinuated about her mental state.

"Hey, mom," Parker greeted the older woman quietly, breaking the silence.

A smile slowly spread across Robin's face as it registered to her that her daughter was indeed standing before her eyes– that she was _really_ _there_. She then lunged forward, wrapping her arms tightly around Parker's shoulders.

"Hey, sweetie," She cooed, "Oh, I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you, too."

"How've you been?" She asked gently, releasing her daughter and taking a step back.

"I've been...alright," Parker answered, realizing too late how unconvincing she sounded.

"Don't you lie to me, young lady."

"_Mom_."

Robin opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted when the sound of a high-pitched buzz pierced the air.

"Mm – that'd be dinner," She said before turning her attention to Kellie and giving her a quick hug, "Thank you for coming, sweetheart. And for bringing her with you."

With those words, Robin hurried back into the house, leaving Parker and Kellie standing awkwardly on the porch. The fiery haired woman turned her eyes toward her friend, who merely held out her arm and gestured for Parker to go in – an order which she reluctantly obeyed. Kellie followed close behind and pulled the door shut behind her as they stepped inside the small home.

Parker quickly slipped out of her shoes and turned around to take in the sight of what had once been her home – the living room looked the same as is it always had, with it's dark blue carpeting and cream colored walls. The sweet smell of Robin's cooking in the next room over filled the entire area, and even though the television was turned on and the CBS Evening News was going, Parker's father was nowhere to be found.

That is, until she heard the muffled sound of the toilet being flushed.

A few moments later, Brael Morgan emerged from the restroom, dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a forest green top. His gaze was drawn to his daughter immediately, and he offered her the same warm grin that he had since she was just a baby.

"There you are," He said, breathing the words with a sigh of relief as he pulled Parker against his chest and held her for a moment, "I was just thinking that maybe I should go knockin' on your door myself."

"It's good to see you, too," Parker replied softly, squeezing the mans midsection tightly, though he hardly seemed to notice.

Brael slowly pulled away from her, that grin still glued onto his face even as he turned and found his way to his favorite recliner, allowing himself to sink into it's soft cushions.

"How've you been?" He asked as he watched Parker take a spot on the loveseat adjacent to his chair.

"I've been...okay," She answered, failing, yet again, to carry a convincing tone. She had always been a lousy liar.

"Girl, you are _so_ full of shit, your eyes are turnin' brown."

It was all Parker could do to stifle her laughter. She wanted to maintain her composure and she certainly didn't want to start thinking it was funny for him to call her out like that – but then again, her father always _did_ have a way of making her laugh, even when she didn't want to.

"I know I've been acting a little...strange the past few months or so, but really, dad...I'm okay."

"Alright, if you really think so, that's fine, but people who are genuinely "okay"generally don't go locking themselves away from the world for weeks or months at a time."

Parker opened her mouth to respond, but before any words could leave her mouth, her mother called from the kitchen.

"Hey, Kellie! Could you come here please? I need your height!"

"Comin'!" The tall brunette called as she pushed herself from the spot she had taken on the couch and made her way quickly towards the kitchen, leaving Parker and her father alone.

Silence fell between the two for a moment before the young woman mustered up the courage to speak.

"Okay...it's just that nothing feels right anymore, you know? I can't help but feel...detached from everything, from everyone – I feel like I don't belong here, like I'm not really apart of this world and I just have this sense that there is something huge, something important that I've missed. I don't even know what it is though, but it feels like there's just this gaping hole in my life where...whatever _it_ is, should be..." Parker confessed, fidgeting with the edge of her shirt as she awaited his response.

He bobbed his head softly as he considered her words.

"I wish you would have told me this sooner," He finally replied after a few long moments.

"Why? It's not like you can help...," Parker scoffed, not intending to come off nearly as harsh as she did.

"Actually," He smiled, "I think that I can."

* * *

**A/N: Okay, not too much to say on this one. We have her parents and we have a little bit of an idea of how their relationship is with Parker and everything. Things haven't been great, but Brael thinks that he may know whats going on with her now so that will be interesting to see how she reacts to that in the next chapter. I know not a lot happened and I know – still no Loki- but he will make his appearance when it makes sense for him to do so.**

**Anyway – I may be working on some tweaks to this story and to Gauntlet – nothing major, nothing that will change anything – mostly just fixing typos and fleshing stuff out a little more so that it's more colorful, more descriptive, maybe... and definitely fixing some phrasing and junk. So just little edits and fixes that might happen, so just be aware. IMPORTANT, I _may_ combine the first two Chapter of Into the Dark into one Chapter (Because the first is so short and the second isn't too much longer). I want to start writing chapters that AREN'T ridiculously short, so if it's like 2,000 words or less (like chapter one is) then I may consider just adding it to or combining it with another chapter or whatever, just so that we don't get chapters that are like little blips in comparison to the others...if that makes any sense. I dunno. **

**Anyway, I apologize for any typos/errors you may find and I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and as always...**

_**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW**_


	3. Chapter 3: Truth

**A/N: In case you missed it, I have combined Chapters One and Two into One Chapter, so this would have originally been Chapter Four. That is all, enjoy!**

* * *

"How?"

That single word had posed a powerful question as Parker leaned her body forward, allowing her elbows to rest upon her knees while her hands clasped tightly together. Her stance could have easily been mistaken for mockery or, perhaps, as a challenge, but Brael knew his daughter well enough to see through the bratty facade – he knew that she was terrified and that she desperately hoped that he had an answer for her, although she was uncertain as to whether she was _actually_ prepared to have it. He could feel her anxiety, her desolation, and in spite of her best efforts to disguise how she _really_ felt, he could see right through her. He had always been able to see right through her – all tricks aside, he was her father and it had become clear to him early on that his little girl hadn't fallen far from the tree.

Brael only smiled at his sassy, diminutive daughter before he, too, leaned forward in his recliner, taking his left hand into his right as he mimicked the way in which Parker had situated herself.

"Do you remember the stories that I used to tell you back when you were little?" He asked softly.

He only caught a glimpse of confusion as it washed across her soft features before the sound of a throat being cleared loudly behind them interrupted the conversation.

Brael cocked his head to the side to find his wife leaning against the wooden frame that stood as the threshold between the kitchen and living room, arms crossed with her eyes narrowed and locked onto him.

"Can I have a word with you, dear?" She asked, although her tone suggested that it was not truly a question.

"Of course," Brael smiled tightly before turning his gaze back to Parker, "Be right back."

The couple's daughter softly bobbed her head as she watched her parent's disappear into the kitchen, noting the sound of the sliding glass door as it _wooshed_ open and closed with a loud thud behind them.

"What's _that_ all about?" She heard Kellie's voice ask lightly as the woman came to stand in the very spot that her mother had been in just moments earlier.

Parker shrugged,

"Beats me."

* * *

"Have you lost your mind?" Robin hissed as she forcefully slid the heavy door shut, leaving her to speak with her husband in the privacy of their backyard.

"What are you talkin' about?"

"You _know_ what I'm talking about, Brael! You weren't really going to tell her, were you?"

"Robin -," The man started, running a large hand through his dark, disheveled mess of hair.

"_Were _you?" His wife pressed, a deep frown forming on her face.

"I think it's about time that we did," He confessed, readying himself for the negative reaction that he was certain his honesty would gain from the woman.

"No! God, Brael – _why_? How could you possibly think that that would be a good idea? She's in-between a rock and a hard place right now, we don't need to pile anything on top of that!"

"Because – just listen to me! Alright? She's just told me that she feels...detached -"

"You don't say -"

"Let me finish! She says that she feels like she's not apart of this world, like she doesn't belong here and that there is something missing from her life – now, doesn't that sound like _maybe_ her subconscious is trying to tell her something?" Brael suggested.

"I don't **care** what her subconscious is trying to tell her," Robin replied bluntly, "Don't you think that if Parker is already feeling this way, that maybe, just _maybe_, it is not a good idea to reinforce it by telling her that she really _doesn't_ fit in here? The only result that'll come of you telling her is that she'll have a **real** excuse to continue on as she has been and she'll resent us for not telling her earlier."

"That's ridiculous."

"Is it?"

"Yes," Brael barked, "It is. This is our _daughter_, Robin – who gives a shit if she get's mad at us? She'll get over it!"

Robin did not speak, opting instead to offer her husband a warning look as he continued.

"She deserves to know. _I_ know that _you_ know that, and I know that this hasn't always been easy for you but you have to realize that she's gonna find out sooner or later. If she get's mad – well, then – she gets mad. And if she doesn't want to talk to us for a while because of it, then that's her right, but she **has** to know, and I am going to go tell her – with or without your consent."

Brael moved around his petite spouse towards the door before he felt her thin fingers gently wrap themselves around his wrist, causing him to pause.

"You're going to do this with Kellie here, then?" She asked.

The man was silent for a moment as he considered her words – he had nearly forgotten that his daughters friend had accompanied her, but it did not matter to him.

"Yeah...I'll take Parker downstairs or something," He explained quietly, "You keep Kellie up here, keep her occupied. If Parker _does_ get pissed with us, then it'll be good for her to have a friend nearby."

With those words, the man turned away from his wife and pulled open the door, taking the first step in the direction of his daughter, towards a conversation that he felt was long overdue.

Brael crossed the small kitchen in a few long strides before he found himself in the archway that separated the two rooms, staring out at his daughter who sat next to her friend on the faded, old loveseat. It was not long before they felt his eyes on them and turned to meet Brael's gaze.

"Parker. Basement," He ordered, gesturing his head towards the stairway.

The girl, to his surprise, did not argue or display any signs of irritation with his request – she simply pushed herself off of the couch and moved passed him as she went on her way. He offered her friend a tight smile before turning and trailing after his offspring.

Kellie nodded at her friends father and continued to sit awkwardly on the sofa after he and Parker had disappeared downstairs. Her eyes roamed around the room as she looked for something, anything, to distract herself with before she heard Robin's voice call to her.

"Hey, sweetie," She started, "Do you wanna give me a hand setting the table?"

Kellie grinned.

"You bet I do."

* * *

Brael gazed upon his daughter as she took a seat on the last wooden step of the staircase that led down to the cold, cement floor of the basement. As his eyes scanned her face, he thought back on all of the times that he had wanted to have this conversation with her, how he _should_ have done it years ago – each and every time, however, Robin had convinced him otherwise. He understood his wife's reluctance in regards to the topic, and he knew that she was simply doing what she thought was best. She wanted to shield their daughter, but Brael had always known that silence was not the way to go about doing that – besides, there was no shielding a person from themselves.

"So..._do_ you remember any of those stories?" He asked again after a moment, "About Asgard? About the people there?"

Parker shrugged weakly.

"Vaguely, I suppose. I mean, I remember bits and pieces," She answered.

With a sigh, Parker's father softly bobbed his head as he pushed his hands deep into his pockets and began to pace around the large, square room.

"Do you believe that any of that could really exist?" He inquired, his eyes fixed on the ground.

"I dunno...not really? Not exactly how you described it, that is...I think that there almost _has_ to be other intelligent life out there somewhere, so maybe it's possible but...I don't know."

Brael nodded in acknowledgment.

"So, what would you say if I told you that those stories were less like fairy tales and more like memories...?"

She did not respond right away, which made her father uncomfortable.

"Why would you say that?"

"Because it's true," He breathed, his chest tight.

"Do you honestly expect me to believe that?" She questioned incredulously.

"Yes."

Parker scoffed in response. He did not blame her for her disbelief.

"It's true," Brael repeated.

"I distinctly remember you saying that Asgard was supposed to be the Realm of the Gods," Parker replied, "You're great, dad – really, you are – but you are not a god. You're just...a **guy**."

"You're right, I am _just_ a guy...but not a guy of Earth."

"Yeah? Then prove it."

Brael had hoped that she would say that. With a quick wave of his hand, a case of empty, glass beer bottles tumbled off of a nearby shelf, crashing onto the hard ground below. The man grinned from ear to ear, delighting in his small show of power – it had been years since he had used his abilities.

His smile faltered, however, as he saw that his daughter was entirely underwhelmed.

"Is that it?" She asked flatly.

She chuckled lightly as she watched her father roll his eyes, but it was cut short as he disappeared into thin air before her. She blinked a few times, as if it would cause him to reappear, but that did not happen. Before she could react, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her midsection and then, everything around her became a blur. She pressed her eyes shut for fear of losing the contents of her stomach.

Parker felt the world around her become still and after a moment, she mustered up the courage to peel her eyes open. She found herself face to face with her father, who wore a triumphant smile upon his face.

They were no longer in the dark, cold basement, but upstairs in her childhood bedroom. Her wide eyes danced across the walls before they fell to her father.

"Well, ya can't fake that."

* * *

**A/N: Hey, guys! So as you may have noticed, this is Chapter Three AGAIN! What I have done is I have combined Chapters One and Two into one Chapter, seeing as Chapter one was quite short, so now this update, which would have been Chapter Four is Chapter Three. I also revised Chapter One so that it is in Third Person because that is how I have decided that I want to write from here on out. I am in the process of revising Gauntlet as well so that it will be completely in the Third Person and so I can fix any errors I missed the first time around. So yeah, there is that.**

**ANYWAY, nobody comes out of this chapter looking too terribly good - Robin is being overprotective mama-bear and Brael (while I agree with him) is a little more forceful than he needed to be. Robin is afraid of how Parker will handle that bit of monumental information and how it will affect their relationship and I can't blame her for that. That's not to mention the fact that there really is nothing that Robin can do to help Parker through that issue - she's not Asgardian, she doesn't really know how that part of her DNA works or what it could mean for her and such - she probably feels utterly useless. I cannot fathom that having a child who is half superbeing would be a walk in the park and so I get this sense that Robin would feel helpless and while Brael recognizes the fact that it hasn't been easy for her, in that instance he wasn't as sympathetic as maybe he could have been. But I dunno, sometimes tough love is necessary, right? And Parker, she's just a little brat in this chapter. I picture her as someone who deeply loves her parents and so it felt odd writing her as being even a little confrontational towards them, but we are dealing with a Parker who is very mixed up. And she knows she's mixed up. I feel like Parker, at this point, has been dealing with these feelings for a good while and she has come to the point where she recognizes that there is something wrong, but she does not believe that there is anything that can be done about it and she doesn't believe there is a real answer. And if there is one, it would be kinda scary to think of what that could be. What could change things so drastically that your whole perspective of things changes? It'd have to be something huge, I'd think.**

**But yeah, I hope you enjoyed this update and as always...**

_****PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW****_

****Seriously, I strive off of your reviews - they are the best motivators in the world! I am in dire need of some good reviewers so please send me your thoughts, what you liked, what you're concerned about, your questions - everything! If that sounds like something you can do/would like to do, please feel free to fill out that fancy review box below! I would love to hear from you! Until next time, guys! :)**


	4. Chapter 4: Wretches

"What do you mean you 'can't give me my money back'," The older woman snarled from the opposite side of the faded blue and gray Service Desk, revealing her mangled teeth - or what was left of them.

The small buds that protruded from her blood red gums were no longer the white, healthy things that they had likely been many, many years before - instead, they were these fang-like structures, in various stages of decay, riddled with yellow and brown stains due in part to decades of cigarette use and copious coffee consumption.

Parker had to force herself **not **to allow her disgust to show through as she gazed upon the woman - the customer's physical appearance by itself was fairly unpleasant, but that alone was not what had the contents of Parker's stomach threatening to climb up and out of her mouth - it was the stench that accompanied the woman. The distinct smell of body odor clung to her pudgy form, and as if that were not enough, every time she would open her mouth to speak, Parker was assaulted by the stale, repugnant scent of her breath.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," Parker offered, although it was an empty apology, "But we cannot take this item back."

"And why the hell not?"

The small, younger woman drew in a deep breath in attempt to calm her nerves - her temper was often just as fiery as her hair suggested, which was not exactly an ideal quality to have when working in customer service - or in any situation where one would have to deal with people.

"Because we no longer carry this product, it isn't even in our system anymore," She explained, doing the best she could to keep her tone balanced somewhere between sympathetic and assertive.

"But it's got your sales sticker right on it," The woman exclaimed, thrusting a short, thick finger towards the small, faded tag on the side of the box.

Parker nodded in agreement.

"Yes, it does, but do you see those two nine's that are printed in the upper corner?"

"Yeah."

"That is a date," She informed her customer, "More specifically, it indicates the year."

"So what're you sayin?" The woman growled, her splotchy complexion growing red with frustration.

"This puzzle that you're trying to return - it was bought back in 1999."

The old woman's face contorted into a horrible expression that fell somewhere between confusion and anger as she took a step back and defensively threw her chubby hands up into the air.

"That's bullshit! That was a gift! I got it just last week!"

"Well, I hate to be the one to tell you, but whoever gave this to you definitely re-gifted it or something. Maybe they found it in their garage or closet and thought you'd like it but either way, it was purchased like fourteen years ago."

"I'm tellin' you that that was bought maybe only two weeks ago," The customer insisted loudly.

"Were you there with them when they got this for you?"

"Well, no."

"But that's what they told you? That they got this for you a couple of week ago?" Parker asked the woman to clarify.

"Yeah, that's what they told me."

"Then they lied."

The short girl watched as the ridiculous lady (for lack of a better term) again contorted her face, which had taken on a deep crimson color that nearly matched her inflamed gums.

"Who the _hell_ do you think you are, little girl? You don't fuckin' know a damn thing! My friend's ain't never lied to me before and they ain't about to start, you understand that? You expect me to believe you over them? There must be somethin' wrong with your damn head- now, I wanna talk to your manager. Someone with some sense," The woman spat, "And you can be sure that I'm gonna talk to him about you and your little attitude."

"Okay, " Parker responded with a smile as she reached over and carefully wrapped her thin fingers around the middle section of the black, corded phone that sat next to her register.

Without missing a beat, she punched in the extension for her manager and brought the phone up to her ear as she stared into the customer's face, finding that the woman was now shifting uneasily before her.

"No, now – that ain't necessary. You just do your damn job," The old lady called to her, maintaining her belligerence in spite of her backtracking.

"I **am** doing my job, but you don't seem to like my answer, so if it will make you feel better, I'll have my manager come up here so that he, too, can tell you no."

The rude woman merely scoffed at the statement.

"Look, that bottom line here is that you are **not** going to be getting any refund of any kind, so you can either just accept that and leave on your own, or we can get somebody up here to help you – it's your choice," Parker explained to the woman as she dropped the phone back into it's cradle, her demeanor darkening.

"Little girl, you don't know who you're messin' with! I know people and I'm gonna make sure your ass never works in this town again! Haven't you ever fuckin' heard that 'the customer's always right'? Huh? What're you fuckin' stupid or somethin, ya little bitch? Just gimme my money!"

Taking a step back, Parker stared at the woman as she continued on her expletive-filled tirade.

"_All this over fifteen dollars," _She thought to herself as she fought the urge to shake her head in disappointment.

It never ceased to surprise her how wretched people could be and how low they could sink if they thought that it could earn them a few bucks. The woman's reaction was not something Parker was not used to – it happened all of the time – but she still couldn't shake the rage that she felt as the customer tore into her like a piece of meat. She realized that that was the point, though - that the woman was looking for a reaction – she either wanted to piss her off and ruin her day or she wanted to bully her into giving her her way.

And that wasn't going to happen.

As the customer continued on and on, the stench of her breath wafted over in Parker's direction, filling her nostrils with the vile scent, nearly causing the small redhead to gag. After a few minutes, she could handle it no longer.

"Stop, just stop," Parker barked, raising a hand to cover the lower half of her face.

"Why? You gonna give me my money back yet?"

"No, but your breath is disgusting and if you keep talking I seriously think that I'm going to puke."

The woman was clearly taken aback by the comment.

"You little bitch -" She snarled as she sucked in her cheeks and launched a yellow-tinged ball of spit out from her rotten mouth.

It was as if time had slowed as Parker watched the wad of revolting liquid glide through the air, headed straight towards her face. Her eyes remained locked on it for a moment before a small, black spider crawled across the the gray surface of the counter, causing her eyes to fall to it instead. As her eyes fell, so too did the ball of spit, causing it to plop down and form a small puddle on the desk in front of Parker.

The girl turned her gaze back to the woman, arching her eyebrow in an unimpressed manner as she watched the woman's face flush with embarrassment and frustration.

"Are you done, now?" She asked condescendingly, feeling a slight jolt of happiness course through her when the woman merely huffed and stomped her way out of the store.

Parker smiled as she turned and resumed placing tickets on the items that she had returned earlier that day before she heard her manager, Anthony, stroll up to the desk, landing three soft knocks against the solid surface in order to gain the girl's attention.

"What's up?" She asked with a smile as she twisted her small body around to face him.

"Was hoping you could tell me," The middle-aged man replied with slight grin.

"Oh - _that._ It was just some lady, she wanted to return something from **_1999_**."

"Jesus Christ..."

"I know, right?"

"You didn't do it, right?" He questioned, arching a dark eyebrow.

"Hell no," Parker snorted.

"Good, good...So _hey_, I don't know if you know this or not, but there's going to be a Halloween Party this Saturday, over at that bar on Garfield Avenue...what's it called -"

"Chaser's," She finished for him with a laugh, "Yeah, I got the memo."

Kellie had taken Parker home after an incredibly awkward and tense dinner with her parents, but before the brunette left for the night, she had made it a point to invite her friend to the party. Parker had never been one for social gatherings, but Kellie was persistent and after a lot of nagging, the tall woman settled when her friend had told her that she would _think_ about attending.

"So, are you goin'?" Anthony inquired, a glimmer of hope flickering in his cinnamon colored orbs.

"I...I don't know. It doesn't really sound like my kind of thing -"

"Oh, come on! You need to loosen up a little, Park! It'd do you good to have some fun for once!"

"Fine...I'll think about it," Parker answered, reverting to her "go-to" response.

"Good - I'll see you there," The man beamed as he slapped the counter and strutted away.

Parker rolled her eyes as she turned back to her work.

She was too tired for this shit – she hardly had the energy to deal with the bratty customers that would undoubtedly come in to the store and she certainly didn't have the energy to go to parties and fraternize with others. Hell, given the choice between the two options, Parker was fairly sure that she would choose to deal with customers over attending a social gathering.

Then again, though, maybe it would be in her best interests.

She had been having strange dreams and nightmares for months, but they had definitely increased in their intensity in the days following her discussion with Brael – perhaps if she went out, it would somehow magically recalibrate her brain and she would be able to sleep soundly. It was a long-shot, she knew, but maybe...

Before she knew it, Parker's shift had ended and she was back home, curled up underneath her thick, green comforter as she nuzzled her face against her squishy pillow, waiting for sleep to come. She just prayed that should she have another dream, that it would be a nice one that time...

* * *

The darkened streets of the city of Asgard were packed with citizens, despite the damp and cool air that had swept in as the result of a passing storm. The people were servants, farmers, blacksmiths – nobody of any importance – though, they enjoyed themselves all the same. That much was made clear by the fact that the air was littered with the sounds of music, laughter, and careless, animalistic sex.

Everyone had something – or someone – that they were too busy doing to stop and take notice of a certain dark, shadowy figure as it made it's way through the streets, headed for the Rainbow Bridge.

The tall, slender form donned a jet black cloak, trimmed in gold and green - it was wrapped tightly over the man's body with the hood pulled up, hiding his handsome face from view. The last thing that he wanted was to be spotted in that particular part of town, where people tended to not take too kindly to those with Royal affiliation.

Slowly, carefully, he found his way to the bridge, traveling along it's path before he came to stand inside of the majesty that was Asgard's golden Observatory.

"Good evening, Heimdall," The silken voice of the figure greeted.

"You're late," The Gatekeeper responded simply, his deep voice echoing off of the walls around them.

Taking the thin fabric in-between his long, bony fingers, the man removed the hood from his head, revealing his distinct porcelain face and inky black tresses.

A small grin spread across the dark figure's thin lips as he came to stand beside Heimdall, gazing out into the stars before them. He was silent for a moment before he spoke, and when he did, he wasted no time getting to his point.

There was, after-all, only **one** thing that the young god wanted to know...

"How is she?"

* * *

**A/N: Yay! Our boy has made his first appearance, even if it is far, far, far away from our girl, Parker! But yeah, there is that! I wanted to show Parker at work, mostly to show that she is still capable of at least fairly normal human interaction and keeping her shit together, but also because I have been in similar situations to the one that I have put her in and it's a good way to vent, for me at least. **

**But yeah, I don't have too much to say in regards to this chapter – just that Parker is still troubled and that even though we know that she now knows about her Asgardian ties, we don't really get to get too much of a sense about how she feels about that or how she reacted to it in this chapter, but that'll come. **

**I know that someone mentioned that they're not sure how they feel about Gauntlet being converted into Third Person and everything, and I understand completely what you mean when you say that it really allows you to get inside of Parker's head, and in that way you get to get a better feel and understanding of her – I'm still really trying to keep that element in there as much as possible in spite of it being in Third Person. I intend on leaving certain things in there and such so that you can still get a sense of Parker's personality and everything. I hope I am successful in doing that, though I think it will be a bit of a challenge. I simply didn't like how the perspective seemed kind of inconsistent when I went back and read through Gauntlet again, so that's why I decided to change it. I want there to be consistency, and I will do my best to make sure that that does not mean sacrificing depth and such. **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this update, I worked pretty hard on it! So pretty please...**

_****PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW!****_

**I thank those of you who are reviewing, you guys are the best – please keep them coming, I love to hear from you!**


	5. Chapter 5: Blackened

"_You aren't trying to seduce me, are you, girl?" A dark, silken voice came, reverberating throughout Parker's mind as it enveloped her with it's velvet-like quality. _

_Her heart quickened at the masculine sound, the mere words setting her blood ablaze in the best possible way. In spite of the anxiety that clawed at her chest, she could feel a warmth within her, rubbing at her core. _

_**God, yes**. She was trying to seduce him. _

_The ceiling overhead came into view – golden in color and covered with an intricate design, though she was not granted long to admire it before a slender, male form descended upon her exposed, elfin body. He was as a shadow – black as coal and without any distinctive features – as she felt the figure thrust its lust into her glistening womanhood, stretching her nearly to point of pain._

_Parker balled her hands into fists, allowing her nails to dig into her palms as she waited for her body to adjust to the man's invasion, although she did enjoy the strangled moans that fell from his lips as her walls attempted to force him out._

_Before long, they established a rhythm - the figure pounded himself into her small body with long, punishing strokes, pushing in to the hilt with his cock head rubbing against Parker's womb, causing her to cry out. She felt her form being pressed hard into the mattress each time he would ram his manhood deep inside of her – she whimpered and moaned over and over again in her ecstasy before a strange yet familiar name rolled sensually off of her tongue..._

"_Loki..."_

"**Yo, listen up! Here's a story, about a little guy tha -"**

"What the fuck," Parker spat, her voice thick with sleep as the radio clock next to her bed came to life, blaring the old song that reminded her of her childhood.

Stretching an arm out, her hand hovered above the noisy contraption for a moment before she allowed it to drop, effectively triggering the snooze function, though with a certain degree of unnecessary force.

Pulling the heavy covers with her, Parker rolled onto her side once more, pressing her eyes closed as she sought to will herself back to sleep, but it was no use. The alarm had startled her, sending a jolt of adrenaline through her system that she could not fight no matter how much she wanted to – and those _images_, they were not helping, either.

Simply thinking about them brought unwanted warmth and color to her face – it was so unlike her to have _those_ kind of dreams. Despite the fact that she could not distinguish who it was that she had been in bed with, everything had felt so vivid, so _real_ – more than that, the whole thing had felt _familiar_ to her, as well.

Swinging her feet over the edge of the bed, Parker sat still for a minute or two – it had just been a silly dream, she figured, but she could not help but feel a tad unsettled by it. With a huff, she pushed herself from the soft surface of the mattress and lumbered out into the living room where she collapsed onto the squishy sofa before yet another loud device tore through the peaceful silence of her apartment.

"Seriously?" Parker groaned as she shot the small, black device that sat before her on the coffee table an annoyed look.

Quickly scooping it up into her hand, she saw that the screen read "Incoming Call...Kellie Brighton" - she let out another huff before swiping her thumb across the screen so as to accept it.

"Hello," She yawned as she reclined back onto the couch, draping an arm over her face.

"'Sup, girl? Are you up for an adventure today?"

"Never am."

"Good – I'll be there in ten."

With those words, the conversation had ended, as made clear to Parker by the quirky _Boop _sound her phone would always make when someone hung up.

With a low growl, the young woman slowly dragged her hands across her face – she had desperately hoped that she would at least be given the chance to wake up before shit hit the fan that day, but from the way things were going, it appeared that it was not to be. _Go figure. _

Pulling her hands away from her cheeks, Parker noticed a thin, oily residue had been left behind, which made her cringe outwardly. Deciding at that point that it was time to take a shower, she pried herself away from the sofa and ambled back down the hallway and into her bathroom.

The girl leisurely pulled the clothes from her trim figure, letting them drop at her feet as she stepped into the shower, grinning as the heated water slid down her skin. Parker simply stood there for a while, enjoying the sensation of the liquid washing over her body before she finally reached out and wrapped her fingers around the orange bottle of body wash situated at the corner of the tub. Pouring a generous amount into her palm, she spread the citrus scented soap across her skin, taking, perhaps, more note of her body than usual as she did so. She was quite a thin woman, but not overly so – healthy, by anyone's standards – with curves in all of the places that a woman _would _have them as decreed by nature. Still, she had a tendency to be her own worst critic and frowned at the softness of her form – she had always _hated_ exercise, namely running, but had always wanted to be a little more toned than what she had ever been able to achieve.

Running a hand up her flat stomach, she lingered just over the small, dark scar that she had discovered just days before. It still perturbed her that she could not recall where she had gotten it from. Lulling her head back, Parker allowed her eyes to drift closed as the water rushed over her face...

_A black figure eclipsed her, it's body just inches from her own as it's hand gripped tightly at her front. She instinctively knew deep down, in the pit of her stomach, that it was the same one from before, and irritatingly enough, she found that she was again unable to make out nearly any of his characteristics, except for the fact that it was definitely a male._

_Parker struggled to move away from the shadow, but only succeeded in encouraging it to tighten it's hold on her. It was then that she noticed a glint as light bounced off of a shiny, silver surface – casting her gaze down, she saw that the dark figure held in it's hand a blade. She cried out in fear and again tried to wrench herself away – failing to do so, she watched as the man sunk the dagger into her flesh..._

Parker's eyes flew open just as a small, painful scream escaped her.

"_What the hell was **that**?!_" The girl wondered silently to herself as she drew in a quivering breath.

Sure, she had been having some pretty strange dreams as of late but that, that was something else entirely. Parker had closed her eyes, just for a second, and found herself somewhere completely different with that mysterious, blackened man – the very same figure that she had been fucking in her head earlier had just plunged a knife into her ribs right where...

Right where her mystery scar would be.

"Son of a bitch...," She mouthed as she reached down, pushing the knob that controlled the water into the "Off" position before stepping out into the steam-filled room.

Running a hand through her wet, tangled up mess of hair, Parker sifted through her head, struggling to remember the name she had called during her fantasy...

Loki, was it?

Where had she heard that before?

A pounding at the door forced the tiny woman from her thoughts, causing her to groan as she remembered that Kellie had called and wanted her to do God-knows-what with her today. Wrapping a towel around her body, she emerged out into the cold air of the apartment and pulled the door open to find her friend beaming back at her.

"Go get dressed – we're going shopping!" Kellie blurted out excitedly.

"Uhm, hi," Parker responded flatly, "Give me a minute. And I thought you said something about an _adventure_?"

"Well, with you I figured going out into public and being amongst people kinda was -"

"You're a dick."

"I know," The cheeky brunette grinned, "But seriously, go get some clothes on. Halloween City is open and if we don't get in there quick, there's gonna be no good costumes for this weekend!"

"What the hell would we need costumes for?"

"Uhm, the party this Saturday?"

_Fuck_.

"You're kidding," Parker groaned, "I don't even remember agreeing to go, anyway."

"You're going," Kellie replied, "Even if I have to drag you there, kicking and screaming."

Turning, the shorter woman breathed out the word "Fine" as she made her way across the dirty living room, disappearing down the hall as she went to fetch herself some clothing. Parker cast her eyes to the side as she went, peering into the bedroom to see that the clock read "11:57 AM" -_Great. _

Her day off was already not going the way she had hoped, and it had barely even begun.

* * *

**A/N: So, I'm sorry that this took so long to get out, but aside from the fact that I've been working on revising Gauntlet and such, I just needed a break from the internet for a bit. If you haven't noticed already, I have revised Gauntlet to the point where it is completely in third person – ALSO, because of how certain things are set up on this site, I chose to _REPUBLISH Gauntlet _instead of going through the unnecessarily time consuming and tedious process of deleting the excess chapters, replacing the content, renaming the chapter, blah blah blah. So, while it was really difficult to see all of those Favorite, Follows, and Reviews go, it was much easier for me to do it this way. You can find Gauntlet through my Profile page if you want to check that out – it's still going to be having some revisions done to it, just to fix any errors and to polish it up so that it's more descriptive and sounds pretty or whatever, but yeah. It's there guys! **

**So, this chapter starts out pretty intense, I know (Sorry, not sorry) but it serves a purpose other than just being smutty. Parker is having these dreams and these kind of flashbacks and they are important, not only for her emotional and mental state (though they may not have the best effect on either of those), but for her progression towards trying to find answers. I know that we have not really seen Parker's opinions or feelings towards the bombshell that her father has recently dropped on her, but that has been kind of intentional – we'll get there, but as we all know, Parker sometimes has the tendency to bury important things deep down and ignore them. **

**But yeah, in case anyone was wondering, this story is going to be A LOT less action-based and such – I intend for it to be more focused on the characters and their relationships and all of the stuff that goes along with that. I realize I'm kind of working in reverse here – usually the parent story is the one where you develop your characters and everything and the sequel is more of a story/action driven type of deal – Not here, Sorry. That's not to say that there isn't a story here, but I definitely intend to focus more on my characters and going into to depth with them rather on some big plot that's pulling them all over the place. I also plan on this story being a bit bolder and maybe a bit darker in some areas in comparison to it's predecessor. **

**Anyway, thank you for reading – I hope you enjoyed this update! I apologize for any errors that may be hiding within these words, but I'll find 'em and fix them soon! As always...**

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	6. Chapter 6: Red Riding Hood

The dress was tight – suffocatingly so, to be exact – though Parker suspected that that was very much the point as she struggled to suck in a bit of air. The garment was clearly designed to be form-fitting and despite the fact that from another person's perspective it complimented the small woman and her delicate features quite well, she could not help but to feel terribly exposed donning such attire. It was a strapless costume that came to an end far too soon for her tastes, falling only at her mid-upper thigh and leaving the vast majority of her pale legs bare. The top portion of the dress was a snowy white color (which, of course, meant that she was doomed to spill something on herself, she figured), trimmed with black ribbon, with a matching inky bow situated between where her breasts softly filled out the light fabric. Encasing the lower part of her abdomen was the primary source of Parker's discomfort – an ebony corset, which seemingly only served one purpose and that was to guide one's eyes directly to her chest. Nestled beneath the darkness of the corset was a flowing, ruby red skirt trimmed with black and white lace – a corresponding red hood sat atop the woman's head as a tight frown formed on her thin lips.

"I can't go out like this," Parker said after a moment, a mixture of insecurity and physical discomfort washing through her.

"What? Yes you can! And you _are_! You're not getting out of this _that_ easy, Park!," Her friend protested from the opposite side of the purple door that divided Kellie's bathroom from the rest of her studio apartment.

A smirk found it's way onto the redhead's face, hearing the strain in her friend's voice as she was no doubt struggling to get into an uncomfortable costume of her own.

"No, seriously – there's not a snowball's chance in hell -"

Suddenly, the unamused face of the tall brunette emerged from the closet-sized room, glaring down at her Parker.

"Stop right there. I love you, Parker, but I'm two seconds away from slapping the shit out of you. I know that you're uncomfortable, but you are always uncomfortable nowadays unless you are at home by your fuckin' self, and that is no way for anybody to live. So, I'm saying this in the most loving way – shut up and come to this party with me. Yeah, we look kind of slutty but, I mean, it's Halloween for God's sake!"

"Yeah," The smaller woman sighed, "I'm not entirely sure that that is what God intended anybody to do **ever**..."

"You get my point – now, could you please zip me up? I can't reach back that far."

Letting a soft sound of frustration push through her lips, Parker stepped forward and took the small bit of metal between her fingers, guiding it up it's toothy path before reaching the top, effectively securing the garment in its place.

"Thanks," Kellie offered with a grin as she spun to face her friend, "Just loosen up a little bit, okay? It'll be fun – you deserve it!"

"I'll try, but I make no promises."

"Good enough," The dark haired woman beamed,"Now, let's get goin'!"

* * *

Autumn had always been Parker's favorite time of year – from the corn mazes and pumpkin patches to the apple cider and brightly colored leaves – everything about the season seemed to rejuvenate her being, from the inside out. It was as a breath of fresh air, and yet it brought about cozy memories of her childhood all at once...

Just as sure as she loved the Fall, she was equally as sure for her absolute disdain for social gatherings. Therefore, it did not come as a surprise to her (or anybody else, for that matter) when she found herself unbearably uncomfortable after only a few short minutes of being submerged into the sea of people that had somehow managed to stuff themselves into the small, loud bar. Carefully, she slithered her way through the horde and made her way to the nearest exit, slipping out of the door unnoticed- or so she had thought.

"You got a light?" Came a slightly raspy, male voice – instantly dashing Parker's hopes of having a moment to herself.

"Uhm, no – sorry," She answered apologetically, "Don't have a whole lot of spots to carry anything in this get-up."

The man smirked as his eyes flicked across her petite form.

"No, I suppose there isn't."

A long, tense moment of silence followed his words, leaving the pair to stare off into opposite directions for a spell before the man spoke once more.

"I just came off as a total creep, didn't I?"

"Just a little bit," Parker laughed, "But it's my fault – I brought your attention to my lack of adequate...**anything**."

Earning a soft chuckle from the stranger, she worked up the courage to turn and face him fully. She was taken aback when she found a familiar pair of gray eyes greeting her own.

"You're right, it's your fault," He jested, "Name's Stephen, by the way. And you are?"

"Little Red Riding Hood...duh."

"Ah. Well then, I highly recommend that you avoid going for strolls in the woods...and that you cut all ties with your Grandmother immediately."

"Noted," Parker chuckled.

"Really though, do you have a name, or should I just call you 'Red'?"

"It's Parker," The girl smiled.

"And are you here with anybody, Miss Parker?"

"You're starting to drift into the creepy-zone again, Mister Stephen."

"You're one to talk," He snorted, "If I remember correctly, you were that weird girl that was staring at me that one time -"

"So _**that's**_ where I know you from!," The redhead exclaimed.

"So you admit that that was you, then?"

Parker felt as the telltale burning sensation danced across her cheeks.

"You were staring at me, too, if I remember correctly."

The taller, older man simply smirked down at her for a second before he found his words.

"I could swear that I've met you somewhere before..."

"Yeah...yeah, maybe," She replied gently, quietly relieved to know that the feeling was mutual.

"Ever been to New York?"

"No."

"Damn."

"Is this your first time here?" She asked.

"Yeah, just moved here."

"Damn," Parker cursed, mimicking his earlier response.

"Guess we just have those faces or somethin', huh?" Stephen teased.

"Guess so...hey, can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot."

"What in the world could make someone leave New York for..._this," _Parker asked, gesturing to their surroundings.

The man's face fell at her words and he quickly took on a darker, more guarded demeanor.

"It's complicated," He answered flatly.

The girl nodded slowly.

"I hear ya," She replied sympathetically, "I have an over-abundance of 'complicated' in my life, too..."

"Well, we're just two peas, aren't we?" Stephen spoke, the corner of his mouth quirking up slightly.

Parker grinned at his response. Despite having removed herself from the crowded building for the sole purpose of distancing herself from others, she found that she was – for the first time in a long time – genuinely enjoying the company of another human being. It had taken mere minutes of speaking with the man for her to feel a rather surprisingly strong connection with him – like they had been good friends in a previous life or something of the sort...

"Yeah," She smiled, "Something like that."

* * *

**A/N: Hello, again! Just let me apologize for the shortness of this Chapter – there's really two parts to it but the second is not ready for publishing yet and that seemed to be the best place to separate the two. It's been hell trying to get these chapters written and in polished enough for me to feel okay about publishing them these past few weeks – work has been ridiculously busy and while I'm sure I'll be thankful when I get my paychecks, I've been bombarded with a buttload of hours. So until things slow back down a bit there, my updates will likely not be as frequent or as lengthy as I would like. Again, I apologize that this chapter is so short, but I've got some work to do on the rest of this particular part of the story and I wanted to give you guys at least SOMETHING, ya know? If only to prove that I'm not dead and that I plan to continue with this story.**

**So Parker's talking to someone! And enjoying it! And it's Dr. Strange! I'm happy to see her interacting with someone that she has a good bond with, even if she's not fully aware of it and how real and junk that it is...if that makes sense. I mean, she has a pretty decent relationship with Kellie, and I feel like she does enjoy her time with her but that it's kind of lackluster for Parker because Kellie doesn't understand her or what shes going through or why – Kellie just wants to make it better and get Parker back out into the world, which is admirable, but sometimes, when you're in a hard place, it's nice to have someone else around who is in the same boat. Like having someone down there in the trenches with you, I guess.**

**Anyway, just a heads up, Loki will be comin' around soon (Like real soon), and it's going to be fun. I'm excited to get back into his head and illustrate how he feels, what hes thinkin, and what it is that drives him to Parker.**

**But yes, I hope you enjoyed this update and as always -**

_**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW!**_


	7. Chapter 7: The Wolf

"What troubles you, Loki?"

An angelic voice called to the god, enveloping him in it's warmth as the melodic sound reverberated throughout the empty hall. The sense of comfort was fleeting, however, as the trickster felt a familiar darkness streak through his veins – indeed, there _had_ been something troubling him as of late and although he was able to anticipate that she would come asking questions eventually, he had hoped to have been able to dodge the conversation.

"It is none of your concern," He answered stiffly, refusing to offer the older woman as much as a glance.

An exasperated sigh forced its way past her thin lips as she took a few strides forward, eyes locked on the back of the raven-haired man seated on the steps before her.

"I am your mother, dear – your unrest will _always_ be of concern to me."

Loki turned his green orbs to gaze upon the woman – oh, he had missed her so. Frigga, his mother - bound by blood or not, the title was hers and hers alone. She symbolized everything a parent ought to be – kind, patient, assertive... – and what he felt for her was the closest thing to honest, unconditional love as he suspected he was capable of. It had, for a very long time, been the queens arms that provided the young prince with any sense of comfort – it was the only place in all the nine realms where Loki had felt wanted, felt _safe_.

Therefore, it had vexed him greatly when he began to feel a similar sense of security with that Midgardian girl – if you could call her that. Birthed from the womb of a mortal and born of the Earth, she certainly appeared and behaved as one would expect a Midgardian to, but the truth still remained that she was more than that.

_Much more than that_.

Asgardian blood was pumping through that girls veins – the blood of a high-ranking Asgardian official, to be exact. A trusted adviser, beloved friend, and inspiring mentor - Brael Morganson had been of great importance, not only to the Royal Family, but to all of Asgard and it's people before he left for the lesser realm of Midgard indefinitely. It had hit the God of Mischief harder than he cared to admit when the man – his teacher – had decided to leave, but having experienced what he had experienced, Loki felt that it was best that Brael's course **not** be altered. As much as it irked him to acknowledge it, he wanted Parker to be born – he wanted her to be a part of the Universe that he had crafted and furthermore, he did not want to rob her of the family that she so loved.

And that all sounded a bit too much like _kindness_ to suit the Liesmith.

That cursed woman – she was the root of all of his problems. He had tried to purge himself of any lingering desire that he held for her through numerous unsavory encounters with a few unfortunate servant girls, but it had done little to vanquish the mutt from his mind. He could not banish her from his thoughts no matter how hard he tried and that, by itself, was enough to make his cold blood boil. Why was he obsessing over her? He held no love for the girl in his heart – hell, he was hardly sure that it was genuine love that he felt for his mother at times – and the idea that perhaps some part of him did _truly_ _care_, on some level, about Parker Morgan, made the pale man's stomach turn.

That was not something that he had wanted to bring with him into his new reality – his feelings for her, whatever they were, they were a nuisance and only served to torment him, but that alone did not stand as the cause for why he had wound up sitting alone on the stairs.

No, that was of his own doing.

Loki had fought to resist the temptation of consulting the all-seeing Gatekeeper in regards to the Morgan's, specifically the girl, but after a few short months of his struggle, he caved. There were multiple reasons for his wanting to check in on them, the primary being out of sheer curiosity, but the trickster also wanted to ensure that there was nothing amiss down on Earth that could potentially threaten his carefully crafted Universe. At first, it had been very much as he expected; there was nothing out of the ordinary, just a family living their mundane little lives, and that helped to ease Loki's mind. He continued checking in on the Morgan's, making a habit of it, until the night before last when he had received some fairly distressing news.

Heimdall had told the dark prince of an organization that he had noticed to be taking a particular interest in Parker, and while that development was somewhat unsettling to him, it was not what bothered Loki the most. That came when the Gatekeeper had told him of a familiar man that the girl had bumped into. A man by the name of Stephen Strange. A Doctor. _The _Doctor

It was simply too convenient to be coincidental.

"It's nothing," Loki clipped.

"I wouldn't call it nothing – she is a _person_, you know," Frigga replied playfully, a small, knowing smile creeping across her face.

Despite the man's best efforts, his mother managed to catch the flicker of surprise as it passed across his sharp features.

"The walls talk, dear. It's only natural that you be curious as to what Lord Brael has been up to – he was such a big part of your life -"

Loki scoffed loudly.

"And his daughter has grown into a rather lovely young woman," Frigga continued, "You know, when you were just little – before Brael had gone off to Midgard – we would often talk, he and I, about the future. He had always wanted a little girl...we spoke of betrothing her to you should he have one, but that was long, long before he had ever visited Earth...and of course the Allfather would not have had one of mixed blood in a position to _ever_ take the title of Queen..."

The trickster pressed his lips together tightly, doing his utmost to physically hold back the verbal lashing that wanted desperately to fly from his tongue. He would not do that to his mother. So a moment of silence fell between the two of them before she lightly patted him on the back, offering him another smile before she made to leave.

"The Bifrost is open to you, Loki – you know that – and if you're not interested in coming to the Harvest Banquet tonight, then, well...there's nothing wrong with quenching your curiosity."

The man said nothing, opting instead to merely sit silently on the steps until the woman had gone, refusing to show any indication that he had considered that perhaps she was right...

* * *

"Woah – no way! Is money bags over there buying you a drink?!" Kellie exclaimed, shouting over the booming music in order for the petite redhead to hear her.

"Yes, ma'am!," Parker grinned, her speech slightly slurred as the amount of alcohol in her system began to take its toll on her small form.

"Woo! Up top, girl!"

The two inebriated women laughed as they struggled to exchange a sloppy high-five.

"So what's he do?," The brunette asked, stumbling slightly as someone bumped into her from behind.

"He's a _doctor_!"

"_Oooh_, what kinda doctor?"

"A brain doctor, I think," Parker answered.

"Fancy," Kellie teased, "Oops, shut up – he's comin' back."

Parker spun around to face Stephen, who held a colorful drink that he carefully placed into her eager hands as he chuckled.

"If you don't slow down, you're gonna get yourself sick," He informed her, wrapping an arm around her waist to steady her as her sense of balance began to fail.

"I'm fine, I think," The crimson haired woman replied, taking a large gulp from her glass before a sour look abruptly crossed her soft features, "I think I'm gonna puke."

"Okay, then it's time to go," Stephen declared, delicately removing the drink from her tiny hands and placing it on a nearby table before turning his attention to Kellie, "If it's alright with you, I'll get her out of here. I'll make sure she gets home safe."

"Uhm, I dunno 'bout all that. 'Stranger Danger' or whatever they say..."

"My name's Stephen Strange; phone number is 232-3210 and I live at 382 West Cassfield Avenue. If you don't hear from her in the morning, you know who to look for. Are we good?"

The tall woman considered his words for a moment before nodding.

"Yup - have fun, kids!," She called after them, "Be safe!"

Parker twisted her body, waving goodbye to her friend as she and the Doctor made for the exit, but before she could turn her attention fully to what was in front of her, something at the bar had managed to catch her eye.

_A_ _man_, to be more precise.

Dressed in a pair of dark trousers with a matching collared shirt, he looked very out of place for a costume party. His porcelain skin stood out as a stark contrast to his black apparel and inky, unkempt tresses, but it was his eyes that truly earned him her attention. Even in her condition, even across a crowded bar, she noticed the brilliant, piercing green.

And she had nearly forgotten how to breathe when she found them staring back at her.

A predatory smile formed on the mysterious man's thin lips and Parker forced herself to tear her gaze away, her heart racing in her chest.

Suddenly, she couldn't get out of that place fast enough...

* * *

**A/N: EEEEEKKK! Loki and Parker SAW each other guys – like really physically got a look at one another! They were in the same room and everything! Haha, okay so maybe I'm a little too excited about all that but still. They're so close, closer than they have been in a long time to seeing each other – to meeting for the first time (again). I told you guys that it would happen soon and while we're not there yet – it is coming and coming fast. **

**There are a couple of things that I would like to address in this Author Note, the first being that we finally are introduced to Frigga in this story! She was, for obvious reasons, absent in Gauntlet (though she was mentioned on a couple of occasions) but here we have her in all of her badass, maternal glory. While I really want Loki's relationship with Frigga to be special and to have them be close, I also want to stay true to what I feel would be Loki's character. Yes, he loves his mother, but he is a very cold, detached kind of person and he holds everyone at at least arms lengths away. He still has a lot of bitterness and anger and all of that nastiness in his heart and I want that to show, I want that to spill out. While I feel that somewhere, buried beneath all of the darkness and the hate, there is a part of Loki's character that is capable of being good and having positive feelings and meaningful relationships, I think that it is buried DEEP, DEEP down, and that any glimmer of it would be quickly taken care of, because I don't feel that Loki is the kind of person who would want anybody to know about that part of him. I don't think that HE wants to acknowledge that there is a part of him like that that exists. **

**I think that that is a great part of the reason why Loki is so conflicted when it comes to Parker. He doesn't love her, but he wants her to exist and have her nice little family, so it is clear that he cares about her on SOME LEVEL. He also still harbors some desire for her, as he is able to remember the encounter that they had in the previous universe, and that has led him to do some distasteful things...I feel like this all sounds like a mess, and maybe it is, but I feel that that is what Loki's head and heart is like when it comes to her. I don't think that he'd be able to really admit or even know that he misses her. And for those of you who might take issue with Loki's indiscretions I just have this to say – the dude is not celibate. Not in any version that I have ever seen of him is he really virtuous in that sense. All things considered, I feel that it is reasonable for him, especially considering his character, to do such things. Almost to spite Parker although she has no idea he exists...but then maybe thats part of his problem, too? I dunno. I'm rambling. But I am also very interested to see how Loki reacts to seeing Parker and Strange with the way that they were at the party. He already dislikes the fact that they have managed to find each other yet again, but Strange had his arm wrapped around her waist and had been buying her drinks, etc. So, yeah. Interesting stuff. I'm done spewing nonsense now, I swear. **

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter and as always**

_**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW**_


	8. Chapter 8: The Morning After

"_Ugh...,"_

A low, drawn out groan rumbled from deep within Parker's chest as she draped a thin arm over her face in hopes of shielding her tired eyes from the impossibly bright beams of sunlight that had somehow managed to pierce through the fabric of the curtains in her bedroom. She had thought that it was quite bad enough that she had been so rudely woken by the obnoxiously loud twelve o'clock train, but as she quickly discovered, that was just the beginning of what was to be an impressive list of problems that day.

"Darwin, move over," The disheveled girl murmured, feebly swatting at the orange mass of fur that had come to take up an abnormally large chunk of mattress.

The feline was underwhelmed by his human's pathetic attempt to shoo him away and to prove it, the tiny cat only stretched himself out even more.

Tossing, turning, and curling her little, aching body into a ball, the redhead struggled to find a comfortable position as the consequences of the previous night came down upon her in all of its painful, nauseating glory. How much had she drank and how the hell could she possibly have thought that that would be a good idea?

Parker wished she could remember, but as it turned out, all of those beverages that she had carelessly poured down her throat had reduced that night to nothing more than a collection of blurry images and slurred words – her first social outing in God knows how long and the memory was virtually lost to her.

With an annoyed huff, Parker tossed the heavy covers from her body, regretting it in an instant as she felt the chilly air of the apartment dance across her warm, bare skin. A slight shiver rippled through the young woman as she pushed herself to her feet and snatched up a light, brown sweater to wrap around her dainty frame.

Running a hand through her tangled mess of hair, she ambled out into the living room and allowed her eyes to scan the messy contents of the area. While Parker could not recall what exactly had transpired once she arrived at her home _after_ the party, she definitely knew that things were not as she had left them. Her blue orbs analyzed the room, finding her name badge from work as well as what _had_ been an open bottle of Coke knocked to the floor before her gaze fell to the couch, finding there something that forced a shriek from her.

* * *

The Trickster paced back and forth along the dark, narrow corridor that led to his study with his hands clasped tightly behind his back, his knuckles having gone white. While his face held no distinct expression, his thin lips were drawn together in a line that suggested his discontentment. It had bothered him to some degree when the Gatekeeper had told him of Parker and the Doctor, but seeing them together with his own eyes had done nothing but add fuel to the fire.

Without warning, a furious roar erupted from the young prince as he twisted his slim body around and forced his fist into the thick, stone wall; ignoring the twinge his outburst had caused, he turned his eyes upon the warm, crimson blood that seeped from his battered hand.

_Crimson_ – the deep, dark, **gorgeous** shade of red that, much to his dismay, brought the scent of lilacs and vanilla to the forefront of Loki's mind. He hated to give that wretched Midgardian Mongrel approval of any sort, but he did have to admit (if only to himself) that she had always managed to hold a pleasant aroma about her, which was quite a feat considering the God-awful stench that accompanied the vast majority of the human race.

The Liesmith snarled at the thought and mentally reprimanded himself for allowing his mind to wander to such places – he was positively **livid** and therefore disgusted by the tenderness that had crept up inside of him.

Considering again the issue at hand, Loki admitted to himself that the pair, Parker and Strange, appeared to be on much _friendlier_ terms than what he had anticipated . He found himself assessing how the preceding concept made him feel and while the God of Mischief typically did not pay any mind to affairs of the heart, he could not deny the way that this new development tore at him. He could easily sense within himself traces of jealousy, a feeling that he had come to know all too well. Since the moment he had laid his eyes upon Parker and watched as that damned Doctor wrapped his arm around her trim waist, Loki could find no solace and that was not something that he was willing to tolerate.

"Your absence did not go unnoticed last night, dear."

The raven haired man spun on his heel, turning to face the older woman as he struggled to mask his anger. How was it that she always managed to know _just_ where to find him? He would have to address the issue later, he noted.

"My apologies, mother. There were more..._urgent_ matters that required my attention, I'm afraid," He explained, knowing very well that she likely already knew what it was that had kept him away, "I will be sure to make an appearance next time."

Frigga merely smiled as she approached her youngest son, stopping only when she came to stand in front of him. Gazing up into his haunting green eyes, she considered her words carefully.

"You need not apologize, my son. Your life is your own and you will do with it as you wish. You do not need to justify yourself to me."

Loki bobbed his head lightly, uncertain as to how he should respond to her kindness.

"What brings you here tonight, mother?"

He took note of the way that he goddess' smile faltered at his question and he instantly knew what it was that she wanted to talk about.

"Your father," Loki did his best to not cringe at her words, "He shows no sign of improvement. Your brother is convinced that there is a remedy in Vanaheim and has already set off with the Warriors Three to seek it out. That being said - you are, as of now, acting King of Asgard," She started.

"You do not sound convinced that Thor's quest will prove fruitful," The trickster commented, completely unfazed by the prospect of being the Ruler of Asgard, if only temporarily.

"To be honest, I'm not," Frigga confessed with a slight shrug, "Though that is not to say that I do not believe that there **is** a force out there capable of reviving him..."

The towering man furrowed his brow at his mother, a silent, questioning gesture that brought a tight smile back onto the woman's face.

"If I may just make a suggestion," She began softly, "The next time you decide to visit Lady Parker, and provided that you should decide to actually exchange words with the girl, you might ask that she tell her father that his presence is needed in Asgard."

Loki felt the color drain from his face.

Perhaps he should have erased the Morgan's from existence when he had the chance...

* * *

**A/N: Okay, sorry that this took so long to get updated you guys! It's been like a month since I updated but real life has gotten crazy lately and not to mention my laptop was kind of indisposed for a while. I apologize for the lackluster first draft of this chapter that I posted, but here is the new updated version. It's slightly longer and hopefully a little better polished but anyway I hope you enjoyed it. The first draft was written on a tablet and that was a pain in the ass so I decided it needed to be gone over again once I got my laptop running again. **

**Anyways, Poor Parker! Hangovers suck and the first time she goes out in a long time and she ends up not being able to really remember any of it. Also, as I'm sure the little cliffhanger made clear, there is something not quite right at her place and there is something or someone in there that shouldn't be - so thats going to be fun to address whats going on there next chapter. And Loki - ugghhhh. He is jealous and hateful and all of that nasty stuff and I'm kinda straddling the line between hating it and loving it. I love how complex his character is and how downright awful he can be but at the same time there are moments when I'd like him to just embrace his own feelings and such but thats just not how I see him right now. He's not in a place where he can just be like "Okay, I'm jealous that Strange is getting friendly with Parker, so I must like Parker kinda" - no, that's not how it goes. It just makes him angry and even more hateful in some way...I dunno. I'm ranting again. Sorry. **

**I hope you enjoyed this update and apologize for any errors and as alwayyssss**

**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW**


	9. Chapter 9: Strange

Huddled in the corner of her bathroom was not exactly how Parker had hoped to start her day, and yet that was exactly the position that she found herself in. She was well aware of the fact that she had far too much to drink the previous night (as punctuated by the throbbing in her head and the vomit that was trying desperately to escape her body), but finding a mysterious man sound asleep on her couch felt like a bit of a stretch. She simply was **not** that friendly. Was she? It had been so long since she had had a drink that she couldn't really recall what she was like when she was inebriated – drunk Parker could very well have been much nicer than sober Parker, for all she knew.

Regardless, the girl had a problem – a big one – in the form of a dark haired man sprawled out over her sofa. She was surprised that her high-pitched scream hadn't woken him, though she did manage to quickly stifle herself and scuttle away to take refuge in the restroom. Once Parker had locked the door and put distance between herself and it, she found that she was not clear on what it was that she should be doing to help her situation (although she was thankful, considering her physical state, that she had chosen _that_ particular room to hide out in).

It was not long, however, before the redhead stuffed her hands into the deep pockets of her sweater and discovered that her cell phone had been tucked away there. Excitedly, she pulled the device out and punched in Kellie's phone number. It rang five times before somebody finally picked up on the other end.

"What?," Kellie groaned, clearly in pretty rough shape herself.

"Hey, best friend," Parker greeted her, drawing out the first word, "You didn't happen to let me go home with a strange man last night, did you?"

"Mm...yeah, I think I did."

"What the fuck? Kellie -"

"I know, I know. I'm a terrible friend – wanting you to get laid or whatever," Parker's friend replied sarcastically.

"He could be a serial killer!"

"Obviously not or else I don't think we'd be having this conversation."

"Kellie – what the actual fuck were you thinking?!" Parker scolded in a hushed voice.

"I don't know - that you were having fun and actually talking to people for once? What are you freaking out about - did he do something?"

The woman stopped for a moment as she heard movement from the other side of the door, unconsciously holding her breath until she could hear the sound no longer.

"Parker?"

"Yeah – there's a guy sleeping on my couch," She answered, "Who is he?"

"I think he said his name was Stephen Strange or something like that."

"That's **so** a fake name."

"Think he said he's a doctor, too. Just moved here from New York. He seemed like a pretty nice guy," Kellie explained, ignoring Parker's comment.

"Nice guys don't use fake names."

"I'm pretty sure that that's -"

"Hey, Parker?" A male voice called from the living room, causing her to pale.

"I've gotta go," She whispered quickly to her friend, "If I don't call you back in like, twenty minutes, call the police."

Pressing the red 'End Call' button, Parker strolled over and opened the door just enough to peek her head outside, finding there a tall man with disheveled black hair and gray eyes staring back at her.

"Yes?" She inquired politely.

"Why are you hiding in the bathroom?"

"Who says I'm hiding," She answered with a nervous laugh.

"I could hear you on your phone in there with your friend," He admitted, "And Stephen Strange is very much my real name, in case you were wondering."

"Oh."

"Also, I'm not sure what your friend said about me, but I **do** consider myself to be one of the 'nice guys', though I suppose I'm probably a bit bias."

Parker grinned at his words.

"Good to know."

A moment of awkward silence fell between the pair before Stephen spoke again.

"Well, why don't you come out here and I'll see if I can clear some stuff up for you about last night, okay?"

"Well, uhm – I would. Really, I would but I kind of have no pants, so..." She trailed off, her cheeks turning pink with embarrassment.

"I see."

With those words, the man took off down the hallway. She could hear him rustling around in the distance before he came back into view, a pair of sweatpants in hand. She carefully took them and thanked the man as she closed the door and slipped into the soft material.

Her fear for the stranger having slightly subsided, Parker quickly shot her friend a text message to let her know that things were under control before she stepped out of the bathroom and made her way to the kitchen, keeping her eyes locked on Stephen the entire time.

"How are you feeling?" He asked once he was able to get a good look at her.

"Fine," She lied as she slowly pulled a frying pan from one of the cupboards.

"Really? Because you look like you feel like shit. You should drink some water, it'll do you a world of good."

Maintaining eye contact, Parker reached into her refrigerator and gathered up a carton of eggs and a bottle of water into her small hands, placing them gently on the counter as she used her leg to push the door closed. Situating the frying pan on the stove and turning on the heat, she cracked a couple of eggs and began to cook herself from breakfast as she waited for him to begin explaining what had happened to her.

"Okay, well," Strange sighed when Parker said nothing, "Last night, you got pretty hammered and so I offered to help you get home. We had been hanging out for most of the night and your friend was not ready to leave yet, but you were starting to get sick, so we decided it best to get you out of there. When we got here, the front door was already open and so naturally, you freaked out. I helped you look to see if there was anything broken or missing, and you decided everything was still here but that you didn't feel safe staying here by yourself for the night. Thus, I slept on the couch."

Parker frowned, she did not like the idea that her apartment had been left open and she tried to recall whether or not she had actually locked it before leaving that day.

"So, nothing else happened?" She asked to clarify.

"Well, we fucked but -"

"WHAT?!"

"Kidding," He exclaimed, throwing his hands up in defense, "Only kidding. You were puking most of the night so, no – nothing else happened."

The girl breathed a sigh of relief before she turned her eyes down towards her humming phone. The lighted display showed her that her father was attempting, yet again, to call her and she swiftly hit the ignore option.

"Who was that?" Strange questioned in attempt to make small talk.

"Nobody."

Parker could not help but feel resentment towards her parents for having lied to her about what she was for her entire life. She understood why they had kept it from her and likewise why they had decided to tell her when they did, but instead of helping her to realize why she felt so isolated from the rest of the world, it only made it worse. She was a freak – neither Asgardian nor Human – and her father merely stood as a reminder of that.

Turning the heat off on the stove, the redhead began to allocate the scrambled eggs onto two small plates before there came a loud knock on the door.

"Are you gonna get that?" Strange asked.

"No," She replied bluntly.

The man just shrugged, accepting her answer as she handed him a heap of fluffy, yellow eggs. Turning to take a seat on the couch, he found his path blocked by an older man with messy dark hair. His gray eyes found the girls blue pair, which were wide with horror as he carefully placed the plate back onto the counter.

"Sorry, chipmunk – didn't know you had company."

Completely unfazed by the man's unorthodox entrance, Strange turned his attention to Parker and softly excused himself before stepping out of the apartment.

"Dad – what the hell?!" Parker seethed as soon as her new friend was out of sight.

"Aw, c'mon. Nobody'll believe him if he goes runnin' his mouth, anyways."

"Not the point!"

"I said I was sorry, sweetheart. Besides, if you'd just answer your damn phone -"

"What could possibly be so important that you have to go magicking your way into peoples houses?"

"I'm going to Asgard," He explained, his face unreadable.

"Well," Parker started, not certain how she should respond to the news, "Have a nice trip."

The older man grinned.

"Oh, no, chipmunk, You're comin' with."

* * *

**A/N: Told you the next update wouldn't take too long! Anyway, as many of you may have guessed (I know one of you did, at least :) ) Strange totally crashed at Parkers place. I'd just like to reiterate how much I love the relationship between those two. I know in the comics, Strange is a bit of a douche who then turns into a superhero and all that jazz and I plan on showing his bad side with his ego and stuff at some point, but mostly in this story, I feel that Strange is kind of established as a hero character. Parker, of course, does not know about any of that or his powers or anything yet, but the fact that he is not shocked by Brael's ability to teleport, I feel, is kind of telling us that he knows about magic and all that.**

**Also, it would seem that one way or the other, Brael has been summoned back to Asgard and knowing Brael, I feel that he would take that opportunity to show his daughter where he is from and hope that it helps to put her at ease in some ways. At this point in the story, Parker is more estranged from her parents than she has ever been and so I think he's kind of looking for anything that he thinks could help his daughter/their relationship. More than that though, I'm sure that you guys know what his means. Parker and Loki are going to meet soon. Like really, really soon. And I am so so so excited to write that. It's going to be very interesting to see Loki's reaction to her and how she perceives him and just all of that fun stuff.**

**Anyway, thank you guys for reading, I apologize for any errors that you might have found, and as always**

**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW!**


	10. Chapter 10: Kneel

The highest ranking officers of the Royal Guard were gathered in a half circle before their interim Ruler, reviewing and offering possible revisions to their current security protocols as the youngest son of the Allfather stared into the distance, decidedly uninterested in the conversation. For as long as he had craved to play the role of sovereign and in spite of all of the atrocities he had committed in the pursuit of power, Loki had come to realize that for the most part, he hated much of what being King entailed. The position gave him ample opportunity to pull strings and manipulate others, but that small amount of pleasure did very little to offset the tediousness that was the day-to-day responsibilities of the Ruler of Asgard.

His disdain for his current task and title was not the source of Loki's distracted mind that day, however. It was the conversation that he had had with his mother in the early hours of the morning, after he had returned from Earth. He had always known, from the moment that he crafted this reality, that a day would come where his mother would reach a point of desperation in regards to reviving her husband, who had inexplicably fallen into the Odinsleep months before. Loki was no fool and had guessed that she might one day request the aid of the Mage that she held in such high-esteem, but he simply could not allow it. It bothered him to deny his mother as he had, especially considering the nature of her plight – it hurt him to know that she was suffering emotionally from the situation that he had created, but he could not help her. Not in the way that she wanted. He was not yet ready to face Odin again and when it came to Brael...he really just did not want to have a reminder of_ that woman_ walking around. Thankfully, Loki had an easy out when it came to denying Brael entrance to Asgard – the old mage, at best, was a man who had turned his back on his Kingdom for a woman - a _mortal_ woman, no less – and therefore, he was unwelcome in the Realm of the Gods.

The distinct sound of heavy boots echoing off of the walls of the massive, golden Throne room pulled the dark prince from his thoughts as he flicked his eyes over to see a small group of guards advancing, interrupting his meeting with their commanders.

Taking a moment to bow to their Ruler, one of the men spoke on behalf of them all.

"Please excuse our intrusion, my King, but travelers from Midgard have arrived via the Bifrost. Would you like us to bring them before you?"

The God of Mischief felt his icy blood turn hot as his lips formed a tight, thin line on his face, accentuating the sharpness of his features.

"Beg your pardon?" He inquired darkly.

"I – I'm terribly sorry, my King," The man started again, struggling to keep his voice even for fear of Loki, "Travelers have arrived from the Realm of Midgard...would you allow them to have audience with you, my King?"

Allowing himself to fall back, the inky haired man let out an annoyed sigh.

"Yes, I would. Bring them to me."

The guards gave a quick nod and marched out of the room, returning a few short minutes later with the two visitors. The elder of the pair, clearly familiar with Asgardian etiquette, immediately took a knee before the king as his young companion stood with a dumbfounded look upon her pretty face.

"Kneel," Loki ordered, his voice soft yet assertive as he watched the girl.

Reluctantly, the small woman gave a slight bob of her head and mimicked the older man, resting her knee upon the hard floor as she dipped her head down, dodging the intense gaze of the god seated before her.

"Brael Morganson - back so soon? What business brings you to Asgard? Has your mortal wife kicked off already?"

"I am here at your mother's request, my King," The old god answered, ignoring the young man's distasteful comments and quirking his lips up slightly at the way he referred to his former pupil, "To aid in the treatment of the Allfather."

Loki merely nodded before turning his attention back to the crimson haired woman.

"And you?"

"Excuse me?" Her voice came out in a squeak.

"Have care how you speak while addressing the King of Asgard," One of the guards barked at the frightened girl.

"Sorry," She offered softly,"I just -"

"My King, this is my daugh-" Brael began to explain in attempt to take the heat off of his child.

"She has reached adulthood by Midgardian standards, has she not?" Loki cut in.

"Well, yes but -"

"Then the girl can speak for herself."

With a light nod, the elder mage's daughter turned her eyes up to meet Loki's hard gaze once again and mustered the courage to speak.

"My King," She started shakily, unsure of how she should address the man before her, "My name is Parker Morgan...of Earth and I am the daughter of Brael Morganson, formerly of Asgard...I am here to assist my father."

"I know very well who you are, child. And **what** you are. What I do not know is how, pray tell, _you_ intend to help _our_ healers?"

"I'm...I'm not sure, my King."

"Are you practiced in the art of healing?" He sneered.

"No," She answered shyly.

"Have you been educated in the way of magic?"

"No."

"Do you think that it is possible that you, a mortal, could possess anything in that infantile mind of yours that might be of use to us in this matter?"

"Watch it, boy," Brael growled before silencing himself as a handful of guards took a threatening step towards him.

"No," She replied quietly.

"Then you serve no purpose to us and therefore, you have no business in Asgard. Guards, see to it that she is sent back to Midgard before days end and as for you, Lord Brael - you may join Eir and the others in the Allfather's chambers immediately."

"Loki, I really need to insist that you reconsider."

"My decision is **final**, old man. We are **done** here. Guards, see them out," The young god commanded as he stood and briskly exited the room.

Furious, Loki sought out the only place in which he found comfort.

* * *

"Is it true?" Frigga asked, an unmistakeable edge to her voice as she crossed the library to stand before her son.

"You're going to have to be more specific."

"Do you really have that poor girl locked away in the Dungeon?"

"It is only a temporary arrangement. She will be returning to her own realm shortly."

"Loki, you cannot do this -" She began to protest.

"That is where you are wrong," He interjected harshly, "I **can **do this, and I am. You seem to be confused as to where the power lies in this Realm. Disobeying the direct order of the King, mother? Please. Surely, you know better."

"Loki -"

"There is nothing more to discuss. That _thing_ will be sent away and that is **final**."

"What is final?" The deep voice of the God of Thunder inquired with an amused tone.

Twisting his body slowly to face his brother, Loki cast the man a scornful look.

"Brael Morganson's daughter has mistakenly been placed in our Dungeon's; we were just discussing her release. Isn't that right?" Frigga lied, offering the dark haired man a look that told him that he should take the out.

"Ah, he agreed to help then, did he?" Thor beamed, "That's wonderful news. Have the girl released at once and do apologize to her and her father on our family's behalf, won't you, Loki?"

The god cringed. Things had certainly gone to hell rather fast. Despite the urge to spit in the golden haired oaf's face, the Liesmith forced a smile.

"Yes, of course."

* * *

**A/N: So, in case you guys didn't catch it – Loki is kind of a dick. I'm glad that so many of you have spoken up in favor of the way that I depict him! I really enjoy writing his character but I find it difficult to capture his essence (so to speak) sometimes. Anyways, he is very harsh in this chapter and it is not going to get better terribly soon. Parker has been a troubling, touchy subject to Loki for a good while now and with him having recently witnessed her being friendly with Strange, I feel like that just is working to amplify his already frustrated feelings towards her – like, to the point where he is just...ridiculously hateful. I like the contrast between Loki and Strange though – going from writing a positive, friendly male character with a fairly healthy relationship and view of Parker to Loki and his mixed up self is really a roller-coaster, but I enjoy it. **

**Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, I apologize for any errors you might find, and as always...**

**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW**


	11. Chapter 11: Speak

"_Well, well – aren't you a pretty little piece?" _

"_Ooh, she is exquisite, ain't she?"_

"_Not from around here, are you, **pet**? Tell us – what's a pretty little lady like you got to do to get yourself tossed down in this pit to **rot**?" _

An icy shiver of disgust crawled up Parker's spine as she pulled her knees tightly against her chest; her cold, sweaty hands clasped together firmly. She pressed her eyes shut, hearing the men across the way laugh in delight at her discomfort - she considered for a moment that she had preferred it when they were content to just make catcalls and howling noises at her, but after a short while it appeared that they felt it necessary to harass her through more _verbal_ means.

The small woman had been led through a labyrinth of poorly-lit, damp corridors and stairwells until finally they arrived at an expansive, rectangular room which held on either side a row of numerous holding cells. Though the prospect of being thrown into the Dungeon beneath a massive golden palace in a completely different world from her own did not sit well with Parker (and certainly did nothing to help the uneasiness in her stomach), she felt a slight, fleeting sense of relief as she took in where she was to stay – the conditions were not half as bad as what she had cooked up in her imagination during the long walk to get there.

Once she was secured in her cell and the guards had left, the redhead wasted no time tucking herself away into the far corner of the blindingly white room. She had pulled the lids over her eyes not only to black out the unnaturally bright light from assaulting her already delicate senses, but also to avoid having to look at the scrawny, sickly creatures that dared to call themselves men that she had been placed in the cell opposite of. With their tattered cloths, patchy complexions, and nearly toothless skulls, the mere sight of them was enough to make Parker's stomach turn.

"Don't be shy, little one! Speak up!" The tallest member of the group called to her, a slight growl to his voice.

Her eyes flicked open, locking with those of the man who had addressed her when a deep sound echoed throughout the Dungeon, causing the vile group to silence themselves and withdraw deep into their cell. Parker recognized the noise from when she had entered the area just hours before and perked up slightly, figuring that at long last the guards had come to escort her back home.

Any sense of hope that may have coursed through her was quickly squandered, however, as a sole, ominous figure stepped into view, sending Parker's heart plummeting.

It was _him_.

From the moment she had passed underneath the golden arches that ultimately led her to the throne room, a profound sense of dread had started to grow, knotting itself in Parker's chest. It was not until she had finally laid eyes upon the man who sat before them as King that she felt something inside of her snap, and she could no longer pretend that she was not afraid. Despite his cut-glass cheekbones, the slight hollows that they caused, and the man's defined jawline, the god's wickedly handsome appearance did nothing to distract Parker from the chaos within her own mind. And then, when he had finally spoken to her – his voice a smooth, deep sound that, regardless of it's velvet-like quality, managed to carry a very distinctive edge to it – he had mocked her, humiliated her, and demanded she be sent back to Earth because she was, as he so delicately put it, "of no use".

Parker could acknowledge that she was, indeed, useless to the situation that her father had been called upon for and she was not particularly upset by the fact that she had been ordered to leave – after all, she hadn't wanted to go with Brael in the first place – but the way that that man had spoken to her felt incredibly degrading. More than that was the way that he looked at her; there was a fire burning in his eyes that screamed his disapproval over her presence, but beyond that was something else entirely. It was as though Parker were a piece of meat and she could not tell whether the intent was of a sexual nature or a murderous one – either way, the girl had felt a small sense of relief when the guards escorted her away, removing her from underneath his gaze.

Yet it was there that she found herself once more, fidgeting awkwardly as the dark prince of Asgard locked his gaze onto her tiny frame. She could practically feel it as a smug grin crept across this thin lips upon his noticing her cowering form – he knew exactly the effect that he was having on her and he was, evidently, deeply pleased with himself because of it. With a simple wave of his hand, the shimmering barrier that shielded her from him vanished and the god slowly, tauntingly stepped into the cell – his hands clasped casually behind his back.

Hugging her knees even more tightly against herself, Parker worked to steady her breathing and wished with all of her heart that the whole day up until that point had just been a bad dream and that she would wake up in her bed safe and sound (albeit still a bit sick). Her body visibly tensed as the God of Mischief came to stand in front of her before carefully crouching to get a better look at her face.

"I...I thought that the guards w-would be taking me back to Earth," The redhead sputtered after a long few moments of complete silence, finding it very difficult to find her words in his presence.

"You will speak only when spoken to," He responded, his voice quiet and soft, yet still laced with menace.

"Right – I'm sorry. Terribly sorry."

Averting her eyes, Parker felt a small bit of warmth touch the frigid skin of her pale cheeks.

"Look at me," The prince instructed flatly.

The order was simple and perfectly clear, yet the girl failed to muster up the courage to be able to do as she was told, causing the Trickster to delicately take her jaw into his long fingers and force her to meet his gaze. Her eyes were tired, stained with red, and brimming with tears that he knew she was too stubborn to let out. Loki felt his blackened heart soften just the tiniest amount for only a moment before he regained his composure. It was certainly not his intention for Parker to ever set foot in Asgard and therefore, he reasoned, any pain that may have been done unto her was not his fault – it was her fathers. He and he alone had been requested to tend to the Allfather and yet the old fool thought it wise to bring the girl with him.

"Do you fear me?" He asked.

Unsure of how she should answer, Parker merely opened and closed her mouth a couple of times as she grappled to find a suitable response. Impatiently awaiting her reply, Loki raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," She admitted.

"Why?"

"I don't know," Parker mumbled with a slight shrug, "I just am, I guess."

The raven haired man sneered at the diminutive Midgardian.

"_Liar_," He hissed.

"Alright, fine. It's just...you're a god or whatever and you could do whatever you want to me and I wouldn't stand a fighting chance...and you don't seem very fond of me so...there it is."

The Liesmith let out a low chuckle, amused by her response.

"You're not wrong," He jeered, "Anyway, there has been a change in plans, love."

Standing to his full, towering height, Loki offered a hand to the girl.

An offer which Parker reluctantly took.

* * *

**N/A: Hey, guys! So the outline that I wrote for this chapter had a lot more to it than what is included here, but I decided that I wanted to get something up for you guys since it has been almost two weeks since I've updated and I have some sincere doubts in regards to how much time I'll have open to write for the next couple of weeks. **

**So clearly, Loki is still being a bit of a dick and unfortunately in this chapter we don't get to see too much into his head. I wanted to focus a bit more on Parker in this one to illustrate the fact that that poor girl is prettymuch absolutely miserable at this point in the story. She has a wicked hangover and on top of that she has been ripped through space and taken to a strange place that not all that long ago (to her) was make-believe, not to mention that upon getting there she and her father are like instantly forced by guards into the throne room where they are made to kneel before scary ass Loki. While Parker (to her knowledge anyway) has no reason to fear Loki except for him being pretty plain about his disdain for her, a combination of all of this stressful crap coming down on her has got her pretty terrified and bordering on a mental break. She is not in a good place right now and while it will get better eventually, expect Parker to be a bit skittish for a second.**

**Anyway, I apologize for any errors and stuff that you may have run into – I'll get to fixing those soon. I hope you enjoyed the update and as always...**

_**PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW**_


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